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OPINION

Biden’s Foreign Policy: Noble Yet Frail

Biden’s Foreign Policy: Noble Yet Frail

Biden’s Foreign Policy: Noble Yet Frail

QUISHA LEE '24/THE HOTCHKISS RECORD

The President’s words have far outpaced his actions. When it comes to our allies, we need more real action.

Contributing Writer

October 20, 2022

MAADHAVAN PRASANNA '25

A few weeks ago, President Joseph Biden spoke at the United Nations General Assembly. “We chose liberty,” he said. “We chose sovereignty. We will stand in solidarity with Ukraine.”


But while the rhetoric expressed by the United States is undoubtedly pro-Ukraine and the administration is making efforts to support the nation in its war against Russia, Biden has not done enough to counter Putin’s regime.


Despite the Biden administration’s seeming resolve to support Ukraine, the response has not been strong enough. While there is nothing inherently wrong with pacifism, history has shown that dictators need to be dealt with using a firm hand. The President is refusing to provide Ukraine with longer range missiles that would allow Ukraine to fight an offensive war instead of being stuck in its defensive state. Biden is capitulating to Putin’s threats and allowing Russia to continue its atrocities and place American security at risk.


Unfortunately, his response to Russian is just one example of the wider failure of Biden’s foreign policy. Put simply, Biden seems weak. Despite increased Chinese expansionism in the South Pacific and aggression towards Taiwan, Biden has responded with nothing but rhetoric. In early September, Biden said for the fourth time in his presidency that the U.S. would send troops if China invaded Taiwan, a clear change in foreign policy from previous administrations. However, that claim has been repeatedly walked back by other administration officials, making the U.S. response appear disjointed. Also, no concrete changes were made to American foreign policy documents, showing the terrible hesitancy of the Biden administration to do anything.


Biden needs to get his act together and start making policy that makes it clear that America will not tolerate aggression towards itself or its allies. Our foreign policies need to support these allies and ensure America remains strong as it faces more threats than ever before. One example of such a policy would be reacting better to China’s provocations over Taiwan by deploying more American military advisors or selling more weapons to Taiwan. If Biden fails to do this, not only are Ukraine and Taiwan in great danger, but so is the U.S.’s position on the global stage.

Maadhavan Prasanna is a contributing writer for The Record.

A version of this article appears in the October 20 issue with the headline "Biden's Foreign Policy: Noble Yet Frail."

November 16th

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Editor's Note: This article was recovered from The Record's online archive. There may be stylistic and visual errors that interrupt the reading experience, as well as missing photos. To read this article as it appeared in print, view our print archives.

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Editorials are written by members of The Record's Executive Board. They typically center on issues related to the school or student life on campus.

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